A blog dedicated to coverage of rock news, reviews of CD's/DVD's, live gigs and interviews with musicians who have made rock music great!
Coverage of hard rock, classic rock, AOR and popular melodic rock music across the genre.
This blog is the creation of Alun Williams, a Brit now living in Michigan whose previous credits include writing for the following sites:
www.classicrock.about.com
www.classicrockrevisited.com
and www.rocknrolluniverse.com (Now gone)
I hope you enjoy your visit here!

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Rock News for Thursday 11th March, 2010

Pink Floyd wins court battle with EMI over online sales

Pink Floyd have won a High Court battle to stop their record label EMI selling individual songs online.

The rock legends, who have been signed to EMI since 1967, said their contract meant their albums could not be split up without their permission.

A judge agreed, saying the contract contained a clause to "preserve the artistic integrity of the albums".

EMI has been ordered to pay £40,000 ($60,000) in costs, with a further fine to be decided.

Floyd's latest contract with EMI was signed before download stores like iTunes appeared, also disputed the way royalties for digital sales were calculated.

In court, Chancellor Sir Andrew Morritt declared that the contract means EMI is not entitled to exploit recordings by online distribution or by any other means other than the complete original album without Pink Floyd's consent.

Earlier this week, Robert Howe QC, appearing for the group, said the the band's deal with EMI stipulated that their "seamless" albums should not be split up and that they "wanted to retain artistic control".

He said it would have been "a very odd result" if band members were able to control exactly how their music was sold as a physical product but there was "a free-for-all with no limitation on online distribution".

Sales of individual tracks online has been a sore point for many artists, who want their albums to be seen as complete works. Bands also receive less money if fans pick and choose tracks instead of buying the whole album, that songs are from.

It is believed to be one reason why The Beatles - whose catalogue is also owned by EMI - have not appeared in download stores like iTunes.

Likewise Garth Brooks and AC/DC are among the others artists who have objected to their albums being split up.

Is it me or does Billy Corgan really think he's seriously something ultra special, above and beyond all those who surround him in the band The Smashing Pumpkins. Just look at this Press Release from the bands website, all references to Corgan are capitalised, all others in regular font size.

PRESS RELEASE

With the news that THE SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist Ginger Pooley has left the band to raise her new baby with her husband, BILLY CORGAN has announced that he will look for a new bassist in the same manner as he found new drummer Mike Byrne last year: via an open audition process (see below for details). CORGAN also says that auditions will be held (again, see below) for a new keyboardist who is a fan of -- and can play in the prog-rock style of -- Jon Lord and Rick Wakeman.

Until a new bassist is found, Mark Tulin of The Electric Prunes -- with whom BILLY toured last year in Spirits In The Sky -- will fill in on an interim basis. Look for The Pumpkins to soon announce a world tour including dates in the U.S.

Says Ginger, who toured the world with the band in 2007 and 2008: "With sorrow and yet with much thankfulness for the opportunity to have played in the Pumpkins, I am sad to say that I can no longer tour with the Pumpkins. Although I've been blessed beyond belief over the past few years through playing with the Pumpkins, my priority now is to keep our little family unit together, which includes my husband and my baby. Although I do plan on continuing to do music in different forms, my priority is for neither for my husband nor myself to be apart from our daughter so that we can raise her together. I wish Billy all the best and look forward to seeing the Pumpkins in the near future. I would also like to thank all of the Pumpkins fans for all of their support. I will see you at the Pumpkins shows!"

Says BILLY: "Although I am heartbroken that Ginger is leaving the group, I really respect her decision to put her family first. I appreciate everything that she has contributed to The Smashing Pumpkins, and I'm proud of her for being such a great musician and friend.

"We were lucky enough to find drummer Mike Byrne through an open audition process," BILLY adds, "so why not open the doors again to anyone who might be interested for the bass or keyboard position. As you can see from our past and present, age, race, or a person's background is not an issue. Everyone is truly welcome to audition."

Audition Info:

Bassists and keyboardists looking to play with The Pumpkins should send their background info (including age, a resume of any bands/recorded work), photos and performance web links via email only, either to pumpkinsbass@gmail.com or pumpkinskeys@gmail.com Note: only musicians with video clips can be considered. http://www.youtube.com/ type posts are perfect -- that's how Mike was found.

As the new millennium dawned, Styx recognized that we had a responsibility to give back to the great city that spawned us. Sweet Home Chicago. City of the Big Shoulders. It was and is time for us to lend our shoulders to support causes that resonate with who we are as a band.

Styx believes that we as citizens of the world all deserve a chance to succeed. Sometimes people start to believe that the world has conspired against them, and that they have no chance.

Styx supports San Miguel Schools, because they give a chance to young people at the 5th-8th grade levels who are academically underachieving, from low income homes, and in many ways at risk. San Miguel provides them with a model of education that includes extended day schedule and a year-round calendar, features individualized instruction with a 10:1 student teacher ratio, and insistence on strong parental involvement.

A very high percentage of San Miguel students have gone on not only to graduate from high school, but ultimately attend college. Give people a chance, and they will rise to meet the challenge...!!!!

To raise money for this worthy non-profit cause, Styx is performing at the House of Blues in Chicago on Thursday evening Oct. 22nd, 2009. Please join us for a great night of rockin' fun...!!!

Your $100.00 ticket includes some finger food and a beverage or two, so go to the House of Blues box office, or Ticketmaster, or http://www.sanmiguelchicago.org/ to buy one.

Don't forget if you pre-order METROPOLIS from our webshop now you'll receive your copy before the official release date of 29th March 2010! Copies will be sent out 19th March.

HAPPY LISTENING!

ASIA Featuring John Payne Inks Deal with Steve Vai's Favored Nations

Classic AOR band set for a June/July 2010 release

Los Angeles, CA - Classic AOR band ASIA Featuring John Payne has inked a recording deal with Steve Vai'sFavored Nations record label. A June/July release is scheduled for the yet-to-be-named CD. Asia Featuring John Payne is currently planning worldwide tourdates to support the new album.

"I am very excited at working with Steve Vai and Dean Schachtel [Favored Nations A&R]," John Payne states. "Apart from being consummate professionals that I admire and respect, their added knowledge of the business is superlative. In a time of change within this industry and conglomerates run by bean counters, Favored Nations is the ideal company for our music and our future. I could not be more happy with this union."

"The artists signed to Favored Nations are a unique, dedicated breed that have attained the highest performance level on their chosen instruments. If you're a music lover who is passionate about real musicianship, we know you will want to hear our albums. " - Steve Vai, from http://www.favorednations.com/

John Payne became the frontman of the supergroup ASIA in 1992 at the invitation of keyboardist Geoff Downes, replacing vocalist/bassist John Wetton. ASIA extensively toured the world for the next 14 years performing new classics and old favorites. With John Payne fronting the band, ASIA released 8 stunning studio albums and several live recordings. In 2006, Geoff Downes left the band to reform the 1982 line up for their 25th anniversary. On the 9th of May 2006, John Payne, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe contractually agreed that John Payne would continue his 14 year legacy with ASIA as "ASIA Featuring John Payne".